THE STORY:

***** UPDATE *****

U.S. District Judge David Lawson orders state to provide services to Flint residents!

Recently Crossing Water was asked by the NRDC to testify in Federal court in Detroit and to provide critical Flint water crisis response data in support of an emergency injunction filed against the state of Michigan and the City of Flint. The goal was to ensure that every single resident and family would have clean water delivered to their home every week and that everyone had a filter and was given the proper instruction in how to use and maintain it safely. The judge in that case granted the emergency injunction compelling the State to supply all the services requested. This was perhaps among the most incredible and impactful work Crossing Water has done.

http://media.freep.com/uploads/news/Flint_water_order.pdf

Over 1000 home visits by Crossing Water RRST teams!

We have also now completed more than one thousand home visits impacting thousands of residents, helping them to get safe clean water, installing water filters and doing in-depth water education on site in each and every home we visit. Crossing Water recognized early on that this is so much more than a water crisis. As a result, our crisis response and emergency intervention teams have ramped up the level and number of services we provide for residents. On any given day during our RRST field deployments we drop off water, install filters, put in new water filter cartridges, replace faulty or broken plumbing and fixtures, bring food, infant formula, clothing, furniture, critical public health information and referrals, children’s books, and so much more. But perhaps the most important thing our teams bring is the desire, ability and willingness to listen and respond to the concerns, fears, and traumas experienced by so many during this crisis. This we believe, translates into hope, hope for a better day and a brighter future for all those living through this time in Flint.

BIG THANKS to all of our partners, supporters, donors, and volunteers for making this work happen.

A huge THANK YOU to all of our volunteers, donors, and supporters, as we continue our work in Flint. Our partnerships have expanded in just a few short weeks since this fundraiser began, and we are now partnering with officials from the Office of the Surgeon General, the Emergency Operations Center in Flint, the American Red Cross, Michigan Faith in Action, NASW-Michigan, CUFFEJ (Communities and Universities United for Flint and Environmental Justice), and other agencies, organizations, and community leaders working in Flint.

Crossing Water has been working with Gud Marketing to create public service announcements to spread awareness among Flint residents regarding how they can get and keep their families healthy during this crisis. One very exciting result of that has been the multiple billboards that have been created that are visible around the city, warning residents that Boiling Water Does Not Remove Lead, in both English and Spanish. Additional billboards and messages are in the works. Also, Crossing Water is partnering with the GCLHC and the University of Michigan School of Public Health to create videos to raise awareness among various communities that have been underreached, including Spanish speaking families, the deaf community, residents with low literacy levels, and others.

Thank you for your continued support!

About Crossing Water's work in Flint:

Crossing Water is working with multiple community-based organizations, churches, and community residents of Flint, MI, and a legion of volunteers from around the state, to ensure that ALL residents have access to safe drinking water, information on how to access and utilize resources available to them, and access to medical care. Our network of volunteers includes social workers, public health professionals, RNs, paramedics, aid workers, front-line mental health service providers, social activists, case workers, and others. From the directors of Crossing Water on down the line, all are volunteers donating their time to this effort.

The public is being told that all neighborhoods, all households, have been given water and filters. This is not true, as we have met with many Flint residents who have not received any resources from the state, the Red Cross, the National Guard. Many residents have little or no information regarding the danger of drinking tap water, how to access safe drinking water and other resources available to them, and how to utilize the resources, specifically filters, when they receive them. In addition, many children have not been tested for lead exposure, many residents are unable to leave their homes due to disability, many residents do not have plumbing systems that will accommodate the provided filters (see image), many residents have not had their water tested for lead, and many residents have limited English language proficiency, or low literacy levels. As of the start of this fundraiser, none of the state-provided documents have been translated into other languages to support the large immigrant and refugee populations in the city.

Crossing Water and their legion of volunteers are working to remedy these ills and to ensure that ALL residents of Flint are supported during this crisis, and beyond. All of your donations will go directly toward supporting this effort and supporting Flint, MI. This is our fight, these are our neighbors, this is our Michigan.

Any donation is welcomed and appreciated - $10 will provide water to a family for two days, $20 will provide clean water to a family for a month, $140 will provide clean water to a household for a year, $1500 will provide an institutional filter to an organization to support the drinking needs of a neighborhood. Help as you are able, and please send us a message if you would like to volunteer and provide on-the-ground assistance to help the residents utilize these resources.

Jennifer SARRETT

DONATION: $30

Ariana Talaie

DONATION: $100

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